Automotive accessory support



Nov. 14, 1944. A, c, fi K 2,362,719

AUTOMOTIVE ACCESSORY SUPPORT Filed April 28, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 14, 1944.

A. 'c. RADTKE 2,362,719 AUTOMOTIVE ACCESSORY SUPPORT Filed April :28, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 9 Ki W 32 0 VZVE/ i/km fizverzi or QcZ'e/Zer Cficzd z /e Patented Nov. 14, 1944 Adclbert c. Radtke, on; Park-111.,- assignorto International Harvester Company; a corporation ofNewJersey Application-April 28, 1943, SeriafN'o. 484,827

7' Claims. (Cl. 18[I'--1i) 'Ihisinvention relates to a new andv improved steering column battery supportand has for one of its principal objects the provision of a column on a vehicle for supportingthe battery, the steering:whee1, the headlights, and the dash panel.

Heretofore, batteries for vehicles, particularly of the tractortype, have been placed alongside the engine, thereby preventing over devices, such as the comparatively new power lift units, from occupying positions adjacent the engine and further necessitated long,.heavy coveredcables leadingtfrom" the battery to the headlightsand control panel. Agricultural-tractors of the type used for cultivating and harvesting row cropsare built relatively narrow except for thewide spread rear wheels. AItis essential that the operator have-full:

unobstructed-vision of the rows which he is working and thefurrows through which the tractor. wheels are running. T this end, radiators have been narrowed and fuel tanks have already been mounted above the engine-and streamlinedso that the operator can quickly and easily see his work. Now, in furtherance of this-full work vision pro gram, the battery is removed from the side of the tractor engine to: enable .more complete row vision.

It is, therefore, an important object of thisinvention to position the, battery or a,- vehicle in: antout-oflthe-wayplace andhyet have it centrally and closely located tothe elements towhich. it-

must necessarily it attach.

Another important object ofthis-invention is'to,

provide a novel: battery: bore for tractors which is compact, simple and easy to manufacture; and

relatively low in cost.

Another and still'further'important. object is to provide a battery; boxfor: tractors which. incorporates the dash panel" and supports the steering wheel and yet is sufficiently narrow invite width to permit the operator or the tractor tohave' Comfort vision means that comfort vision. the operator of the tractortmay sitnormally relaxed on the? seat of thetractor and from such: vantage point may see everything necessary to the proper. execution" of-hiswork. Previously,

however, it has beencommon for the tractor operator to have to stretcha and strain his neck and back in order to see what he was doing. Such unnatural positions caused the operator greatfatigue and" made him relatively ineflicient after a very short/time; Now, especially when so many'women: are'operating tractors byreason of the war, itis' more essential than ever that the tractors be built to permit: easypperation. The positioning of the novel? streamlined batter box consolidates the. scattered electrical units to a trol's. Other and further important objects of this invention. will. become apparent from the following specification and, accompanying drawings, inwhich;

Figurelshowsaside. elevation of a tractor hava ing, the steering. column battery support as a unit thereof t Figure 2'. is. a frontl elevation oi the steering columnibat'tery.support; t

Figure 3 is aside elevation. of the device as shown inFiguIeZ; and

Figure Lisa top plan view of the device, as shown inFigure. 1,,with the small auxiliary cover of'thebattery box removed.

Asishown in the drawings, reference numeral I'll indicates, generallyaltractor or the like having an, engine. H with a superposed streamlined fuel tank 45'Imounted on a comparatively narrow chassis [2 carried by 'rear wheels l3' and front wheels- MI l. A steering columnv support I 5, having a lower flangelmemberllii, is fastened to thechassis l2 by ,meansoibolts or. the like [1. The upper end.of.the. column l5. supports a battery box or. housing. lBof this invention, and as best sh'owninFiguresfl, 3;,and 4, the box. [8 consists of a bottom 19. having a centrally located tubular socket 20 into: which the column l5 projects. In order that the box l8 may befirmly supported, rib members-2| are positionedaround the socket 201 and extend upwardly blending into the bottom. IQ of .thebox. [8. Further, the battery box l8 has upwardly extending Walls 22 preferably of some thinner material such as sheet metal withinwhich. ispositioneda battery 23 as shown by the.brokenlawayportion in Figure 2. This-bat: ter y 23 suppliesthe electricity necessary for energizing the ignition system, the starting motor, the headlights, as shown atf24, and any other appliances. on the vehicle, such as. a heater or the-like A cover His-mounted onside walls 22 and is bolted-into position by means of tie bolts or the like 26 as shown in Figure 4. The front side of the cover 25 is inclinedrearwardly and actsas a dash panel 21 for vehicle meters and switches, such as an ammeter 28, an ignition switch29,.a lightfcontrolswitch 30, and a starter button 31; Inasmuch as the battery box I8 is positioned on'the chassis H in close proximity to a seat 32or. operating tation of the tractor, the operator has thedash-panelfl in full close viewaperatures 38 in the top 33 of the main cover-25..

-A bracket 39 is aifixed to the top of the auxiliary cover plate 36 and has a steering shaft 40 journaled therethrough. A steering wheel 4| is mounted on the end of the shaft 40 for rotation thereof; The lower end of the steering shaft 46 terminates in a universal joint 42 to enable removal of the auxiliary cover 36 and permits it to be swung to either side, as shown in Figure 4, when it is necessary to refill or service the battery.

Through the. rear. of the cover 25 is mounted a tubular supporting member 43, upon either end' of which is mounted a headlight 24, as shown in all the figures of the drawing. Inasmuchas the .battery 23 is within the box [8, the leads therefrom are very short in extending to the dash panel 21 and pass through the tubular member 43 in leading to the headlights 24. The only device, therefore, which is not closely adjacent the battery is the starter motor (not,

shown), which must of necessity be placed relatively close to the engine H, and the leads 44, as"

shown by the broken away portions in Figures 2 and 3, pass downwardly through the supporting column l5 and thence to the starting motor.

It will be seen that herein is provided a novel battery box for vehicles of the tractor type, which removes the battery to a less important space taking position on the steering column support,

and thereby leaves open the space adjacent the tractor engine for other very necessary devices; such as power lift units now coming into use. It will be understood that such power lift units are used for the purpose of adjustin parts of agricultural or other implements, mounted on the tractor, and it is quite essential that the battery not project outwardly from the sides of the tractor engine to permit proper mounting of such implements. Further, the cables used in connection with the battery are reduced in length and are more completely covered-and concealed thanheretofore by reason of the integral dash panel and headlamps.

In. order .to refill the battery with Waterbr otherwise service it, it is merely necessary to remove the bolts holding the auxiliary cover 36 and 'lift theplate 36 and unitary steering shaft 40 to one side of the battery box l8 and rest v thatunit on the'headlamp supporting shaft 43 as shownin Figure 4. ,In this position, as heretofore stated, the battery caps 35 may be removed and water poured into the battery cells with ease. Now if it is necessary to remove the battery for recharging. or for replacement, the main'cover zfi'may be removed by taking out the two bolts 26, whereupon the entire battery 23 may be lifted out.

, I am aware that herein is provided a novel eco-' nomicalv battery box capable of performing a plurality of functions, and I therefore do not propose limiting the patent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the appended claims.

What is claimed is: 1 A vehicle having a steering shaft support including a column, a battery box mounted over said column, a relatively large cover on said battery box, and an auxiliary smaller cover covering an aperture in said larger cover.

2. A vehicle having a steering shaft support including a column, a battery box mounted over said co1umn, a large cover on said battery box, an auxiliary smaller cover covering an aperture in said larger cover, said large cover having an integral dash panel on the front thereof.

3. A vehicle having a steering shaft support including a column, a battery box mounted over said column, a large cover on said battery box, an auxiliary smaller cover covering an aperture in said larger cover, said large cover having an integral dash panel on the front thereof, said large cover having a transverse shaft through the .rear thereof, headlamps positioned on the extremities of said transverse member.

4. A vehicle having a steering shaft support including a column, a battery box mounted over said column, a large cover on said battery box, an auxiliary smaller cover ooveringan aperture in said larger'cover, said large cover having an' integral dash panel on the front thereof, said large cover having a transverse shaft near the rear thereof, headlamps "positioned near the extremities of said transverse member, a bearing bracket positioned on said small auxiliary cover adapted to receive the steering shaft.

5. A vehicle having a steering shaft support including a column, a battery box mounted over said column, a large cover on said .battery box, an auxiliary smaller cover covering an aperture in said larger cover, said large cover having an integral dash panel onthe front thereof, said large cover having a transverse shaft through the rear thereof, headlamps positioned on the extremities of said transverse member, a bearing bracket positioned on said small auxiliary cover adapted to receive the steering shaft, and cable connections between said battery and said dash panel within said large cover and extending through said transverse member to said headlamps. T

' 6. A battery box for tractors having a chassis,

an engine, a starting motor adjacent said engine, a steering shaft having a universal driving joint at some point intermediate its ends comprising a tubular member mounted verticallyon said chassis, a battery box superpos'ing said tubular member, a cover for said battery box having a dash panel and a headlamp support interal therewith, an'au'xiliary cover for an aper-' ture in said first named cover, a bearing bracket on said auxiliary 'cover adapted to journal the said steering shaft, whereby when it is desired to refill the battery with water or the like the auxiliary cover alone need be removed and the auxiliary cover and steering shaft moved about the universal joint to one side of the battery box for ready accessto the interior thereof.

7. In atractor having an elongated narrow body portion carrying an'engine at its forward end and an operator's station adjacent its rear end, an upright steering column positioned on the body between the engine and station, and a battery box supported by said column above the body and disposed between the sides of the body, a cover for said battery box comprising a dash panel as a unitary part thereof, headlamps on the sides thereof, an auxiliary cover on said other cover, and a steering control on the top thereof whereby access may be had to the battery by removal of the auxiliary cover.

' ADELBERT C. RADTKE. 

